Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Poland Warsaw Nicolaus Copernicus Monument

Nicolaus Copernicus Monument

The giant statue and its model solar system honor the native Pole who declared that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

Warsaw, Poland

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The statue and solar system.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The statue and solar system.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The statue and solar system.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The statue and solar system.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Copernicus.   Unknown/public domain
The statue and solar system.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Statue of Copernicus   argusfoto / Atlas Obscura User
  michellepercha / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Nicolaus Copernicus and Marie Curie are two of Poland's greatest scientists. But unfortunately, both are often misattributed to other countries. Poland doesn’t like this, and therefore tries to fix the misconception by creating statues and museums in their names, like the Nicolaus Copernicus Monument.

Copernicus was an important figure on the road to humanity’s understanding of the universe. He came up with the notion that the Earth was orbiting around the Sun. This theory went against Ptolemy's system, which had been prevalent for more than a thousand years and stated that the Earth was at the center of the solar system. And, more significantly, Copernicus’s theory contrasted with the Church’s beliefs.

Originally, no one believed Copernicus’s claim. However, over the years people warmed up to the idea, and these days we see it as the truth. 

Though Copernicus died before his theory was accepted as fact, his legacy is still celebrated today. The Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Warsaw includes an enormous statue of him sitting in a chair, looking at the bronze model of his solar system that dominates the square. The statue is right next to the church that houses Chopin's heart, preserving a piece of another Pole who often gets confused for a French person.

Related Tags

Science Statues Solar System Solar System Models Monuments

Know Before You Go

In front of the Institute of Economics Polish Academy of Sciences

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

argusfoto, michellepercha

  • argusfoto
  • michellepercha

Published

February 5, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus_Monument,_Warsaw
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/copernicus.shtml
  • https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level2/copernicus.html
Nicolaus Copernicus Monument
Warsaw
Poland
52.238154, 21.017996

Nearby Places

Warsaw's Chopin Benches

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Shrine of St. Thaddaeus

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Chopin's Heart

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Warsaw

Warsaw

Poland

Places 41
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Warsaw's Chopin Benches

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Shrine of St. Thaddaeus

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Chopin's Heart

Warsaw, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Warsaw

Warsaw

Poland

Places 41
Stories 2

Related Places

  • The sun

    Manzanares, Spain

    Paseo del Sistema Solar

    A scale model of our Solar System, where physical representations of the Sun and planets have been placed along a route in the local park.

  • Planetarium Zuylenburg.

    Oud-Zuilen, Netherlands

    Planetarium Zuylenburg

    This functional solar system model was inspired by the famous Eisinga Planetarium.

  • The monument to Alexander Von Humboldt.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Alexander Von Humboldt Monument

    A bronze statue of the famed Prussian naturalist commemorates the year he spent in Mexico.

  • Washington, D.C.

    Daguerre Monument

    Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.

  • Monument to the Laboratory Mouse.

    Novosibirsk, Russia

    Monument to the Laboratory Mouse

    This cuddly rodent has a place of honor at a Russian institute for genetic research.

  • Ithaca, New York

    The Sagan Planet Walk

    Pluto is still considered a planet in Ithaca, New York.

  • Punk monument of Visací zámek.

    Prague, Czechia

    Punk Monument

    This pink tractor statue pays tribute to a legendary underground punk band.

  • Peasish (Hrachovina).

    Brno, Czechia

    ‘Hrachovina’

    A metal forest of peas pays tribute to the founding father of genetics.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.